A roaring fire crackles in the fireplace. Its warm glow glints off a dusty scabbard hanging, as if carelessly tossed, on a hook. The scabbard was of the finest hand tooled black leather, with intricate patterns inlaid with Skyforged steel. Near the middle, still as bright as the day it was emblazened there, was the sigil of a Dragon breathing fire clutching arrows in its talons.
The light shines off of the Amulet of Talos tied around the scabbard near the hilt, the amulet's golden shine faded and unpolished. A lone mannequin sits on a pedestal near the fireplace, on it rests a faded and dust caked suit of pitch black armor. In its hand it clutches a shield bearing the same sigil, stamped into its metal frame. The tools of a long forgotten Hero, the Hero with the soul of a Dragon.
Chapter One- 14th of Rain's Hand, 4E 209
Kyra rolls onto her side and rubs her cheek on her pillow, pulling the blanket further up her bare shoulder. She lets her eyes drift closed as the doors to her bedroom swing open. The smell of cooking wafts its way in as soft steps approach her side of the big bed. Kyra opens one eye looking up at the little brunette who laughs when she sees she's faking.
Kyra growls playfully, grabs Sofie in both arms and hauls her into bed, the little girl squeeling in protest and laughing as Kyra tickles her. She sits up in bed stretching as Selena walks into their bedroom carrying a plate of food.
"Good morning my love." Selena leans down and kisses her softly as she crawls back into their bed. Kyra smiles resting her forehead against hers for a moment, before their lips meet again and Kyra picks up a piece of fruit.
"Sof, aren't you supposed to be at the Temple studying with Elder Othreloth?" Sofie looks up at Kyra.
"I don't like Othreloth."
"You don't like him because he won't let you go casting spells whenever you please."
"That's not true." Kyra gives her daughter a look as she chews.
"It is so, he wants you to study the texts and you'd rather be setting things on fire." Sofie crosses her arms and looks at Selena, who holds up her hands.
"I'm not defending you this time, even if you are my favorite kid." Selena smiles tussling the little girl's mane of silky brown hair. Kyra picks her up and sets her on her feet on the floor.
"Now go get dressed. I have to go see Cindiri Arano anyways so I'll walk with you to the Temple." Kyra rests back against Selena as Sofie leaves in a huff shutting their bedroom doors behind her. Selena wraps her arms around Kyra resting her lips in her soft black hair, the fingers of their hands interlacing resting on Kyra's abdomen.
"Can you believe she's almost nine?" Kyra sounds almost wistful as she picks another small piece of fruit from the plate and chews it looking at the door.
"She's growing like a weed. Can you believe you're almost thirty?" Selena asks as Kyra shakes her head from side to side without answering. Selena leans down and kisses the top of her head.
"Time does fly. What did Cindiri want to see you about?"
"I don't know she sent word last night, said to come first thing. I need to go see Glover as well about those new locks for the front doors. Anything you need while I'm out?" Kyra slides out of her embrace, ruffling her tossed and teased hair as she opens the wardrobe on her side of the bed. She could feel Selena eyeing her half naked body, she looks over her shoulder and smiles. Her blue eyes twinkling in the light of the candles illuminating their bedroom.
"I can think of something I need..." Kyra laughs as she moves a couple of dresses to one side of the wardrobe and retrieves another, a bright blue one, holding it up to her slender frame.
"You got plenty last night." She turns and gestures at it, Selena nods as Kyra pulls it over her head straightening it at the waist.
She flips her dark hair from the neckline and ties the little strings at her breasts. Kyra turns to look at herself in the mirror, pulling her hair into a simple ponytail, brushing a few stray bangs from her face. She runs her finger down the three long scars on her cheek that had begun to fade to nothing. Selena gets up circling her arms around her waist, their eyes meeting in the mirror.
"You're beautiful." Selena's lips brush her ear. Kyra turns in her embrace sliding her arms around Selena's neck and kissing her. Selena pulls Kyra's body closer as the kiss deepens Kyra's tongue meeting hers, a soft whimper escaping Kyra's lips. There's a knock at the door, and Sofie opens it just enough to put her head in.
"You ready mommy?" Their lips part as they both look at the door and their daughter, Kyra nods.
"In a moment sweetheart." Sofie rolls her eyes as she shuts the door and Kyra turns back to Selena looking into her bright green eyes.
"I better go while she's still willing, I'll back back soon ok?" Kyra sits on the bed pulling on her shoes, she picks up her wedding ring from her bedside table and slides it on her finger. She pauses to kiss Selena once more before Sofie yells for her to hurry from upstairs.
"I'm coming!" She yells back before Selena smiles and pecks her lips again swatting Kyra on the ass as she walks by, making her jump and laugh looking back at Selena over her shoulder. Kyra swings open their bedroom doors and hurries up the stairs to the ground floor of their home. Sofie and Kyra walk outside, Kyra blinking in the bright sunlight as she closes the door behind them.
Raven Rock was quiet this morning, quiet enough for her to hear the ocean lapping the shore a few hundred yards away. The sky was a rare crystal blue, and off in the distance she could see Red Mountain's column of ash rising into the clouds. She walks alongside Sofie, walking past the trader Fethis who tosses her an apple.
"Good morning Kyra." He calls after her as she smiles and waves biting into the apple as they walk along the shore through Raven Rock towards the Temple. Glover Mallory waves at them from his forge.
"You coming back this way?" He puts down his hammer and leans on the railing bordering his work area. They stop and Sofie blows the air from her lungs.
"Yeah I just have to see Cindiri first, you're the very next on my list." She smiles and slaps his bicep, turning to continue on their way.
"Good luck with that, nice talking to you Sofie." He adds after them with a chuckle.
"Be nice to Glover huh? He's a good man." Kyra offers Sofie some of her apple which she declines as they walk past one of the guards who bids them good morning. They take the steps to the Temple where a group of children were already gathering waiting for Elder Othreloth to let them in for the day's lessons.
"You don't have to wait with me." Sofie looks up at her, Kyra nods looking around and spies Cindiri walking out of the council chambers.
"All right, have a good day I'll see you this afternoon. Remember what I said Elder Othreloth can teach you a lot, he deserves your respect and attention." She ruffles Sofie's hair kissing the top of her head and calls after Cindiri to wait a moment.
"Hey, so what's going on?" Kyra falls into step with the Dark Elf as they walk down the steps of the Temple.
"It's about time, come with me there's something I want you to see." She follows Cindiri across the small square and into one of the buildings housing the Redoran Guard. Kyra pushes the door closed behind them as they take the stairs into the lower levels.
"Last night one of the watchmen brought in a man he found in the field outside the wall. Half naked and half out of his mind apparantly." They come to a set of doors with two guards on either side, Cindiri nods to them and they open them. Kyra follows her inside where a man sat in one of the half dozen cells tied to a chair.
The man's head lolls a little as if in a stupor but when he looks up at Kyra his eyes snap open, clear and full of hate. He strains against his bonds, snapping and growling.
"Deceiver! Every word from her mouth is lies!" He screams at them as he gnashes his teeth struggling to break free.
"Her lies take root in the hearts of men and lead them astray! He will expose the lies in their hearts by ripping out yours! Deceiver!"
"Me?" Kyra looks at him as his eyes bore into her.
"The true Dragonborn comes. He comes for you Deceiver! You are nothing but a shadow of true power! A shadow of Him!" He screams at them as the guards step into the room behind them, Kyra's eyes widen.
"How do you know that name?" She asks, wrapping her fingers around the bars of the cell door unable to hide the uneasy wavering in her voice.
"Deceiver! Deceiver! Deceiver!" He yells as loud as he can staring at Kyra, who stares back at him in stunned silence as the guards back them out of the room and shut the doors once again.
"The true Dragonborn? Perhaps you should explain yourself." Kyra leans against the wall and shakes her head.
"I don't know who he's talking about but there can't be another Dragonborn, not while I'm standing here." Cindiri cocks her head at her.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm the Dragonborn. The last Dragonborn." Kyra looks back at the doors to the cells as the man continues to scream obscenities at her.
"Or so I was told."